With the appointment of Raju to the Board of Trustees a couple of months
ago, we were left with a remaining open vacancy to fill. I am thrilled to
share that after several months of searching and discussions, we have made
another important appointment. At our November Board Retreat, the Board
appointed and welcomed Esra’a Al Shafei to fill our vacant expert seat.

Esra'a is a prominent international human rights activist and social
entrepreneur. She founded and directs Majal, a nonprofit which utilizes
digital media to amplify under-reported and marginalized voices throughout
the Middle East and North Africa. For those of you that heard her keynote
presentation at this year's Wikimania, I think you will agree she will make
a very valuable addition to the Board and brings an important perspective
and skillset to the Board's efforts.

Below (and on the Wikimedia Blog) you will find the official announcement
about Esra’a Al Shafei. Please join me in warmly welcoming her to the
Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees and to the Wikimedia movement!

Christophe
Chair, Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees

P.S. Due to the nature of Esra’a’s work, sharing photos or videos of Esra’a
may endanger her safety or the safety of others. To help ensure the privacy
and safety of Esra’a and her colleagues, we are not sharing any photographs
or videos of Esra'a. We ask that you please join us in supporting this
important safety consideration.

Press release

Header: Esra'a Al Shafei joins Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees

Subheader: Bahraini human rights activist and social entrepreneur brings to
the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees more than a decade of experience
in applying creative solutions to challenges faced by underserved and
underrepresented communities.

San Francisco, California, 1 December 2017 — The Wikimedia Foundation today
announced the appointment of Esra'a Al Shafei, a prominent human rights
activist and a passionate defender of free expression, to the Wikimedia
Foundation Board of Trustees.

A native of Bahrain, Esra'a’s work aims to increase and protect free
speech, promote expression for youth and underrepresented voices, and
improve the lives of LGBTQ people in the Middle East and North Africa. She
founded and directs Majal, a network of online platforms that
amplify under-reported and marginalized voices.

“Esra'a shares Wikimedia's foundational belief that shared knowledge can
facilitate shared understanding,” said Wikimedia Foundation Executive
Director, Katherine Maher. "Her achievements exemplify how intentional
community building can be a powerful tool for positive change, while
her passion
for beautiful and engaging user experiences will only elevate our work. We
are so fortunate to have her perspective in support of our global Wikimedia
communities."

Esra'a founded Majal in 2006 as Mideast Youth, at the time a series of
blogs bringing a voice to marginalized and underrepresented young
people across the Middle East. Today, the organization's team helps build
communities that celebrate, protect, and promote diversity and social
justice. Their endeavors include CrowdVoice.org, which curates crowdsourced
media to contextualize social movements throughout the world; Mideast
Tunes, the largest web and mobile app showcasing underground musicians in
the Middle East and North Africa who use music as a tool for social change;
and Ahwaa.org, an open discussion platform for Arab LGBTQ individuals that
uses game mechanics to protect and engage its community.

“When I first encountered Wikipedia shortly after obtaining an internet
connection in the early 2000s, I felt that the true purpose of the internet
was realized. With Wikipedia, I accessed research regarding persecuted
communities in my home country and the wider region: ethnic and religious
minorities whom we were discouraged from learning about, and whose
histories and beliefs were dictated to us from a singular government
perspective. Wikipedia’s open source and crowdsourcing practices would
inspire the platforms I built to advocate for underrepresented communities,
and the internet would shape my life’s work in advocating for freedom of
expression and identity around the world,” said Esra'a.

Esra'a received the Berkman Award for Internet Innovation from the Berkman
Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School in 2008 for
"outstanding contributions to the internet and its impact on society." The
World Economic Forum listed her as one of "15 Women Changing the World in
2015." She has won the "Most Courageous Media" Prize from Free Press
Unlimited, and the Monaco Media Prize, which acknowledges innovative uses
of media for the betterment of humanity.

She has been featured in Fast Company as one of the "100 Most Creative
People in Business;" in The Daily Beast as one of the 17 bravest bloggers
worldwide; and in Forbes' "30 Under 30" list of social entrepreneurs making
an impact in the world.

Esra'a was a keynote speaker at Wikimania 2017 in Montreal, the annual
conference centered on the Wikimedia projects.

“Esra'a brings tech expertise and a valuable perspective to the Board -
coming from a region where access to information is not taken for granted.
I was impressed by her talk during Wikimania 2017 on 'Experiences from the
Middle East: Overcoming Challenges and Serving Communities'. I think her
experience in that region will be important to our efforts around the
globe,” said Nataliia Tymkiv, Governance Chair for the Board.

Esra'a is a senior TED Fellow, an Echoing Green fellow, and a Director’s
Fellow at the MIT Media Lab. She received a Shuttleworth Foundation
Fellowship in 2012 for her work on CrowdVoice.org.

The Wikimedia Foundation is the non-profit organization that supports and
operates Wikipedia and its sister free knowledge projects. Wikipedia is the
world’s free knowledge resource, spanning more than 45 million articles
across nearly 300 languages. Every month, more than 200,000 people edit
Wikipedia and the Wikimedia projects, collectively creating and improving
knowledge that is accessed by more than 1 billion unique devices every
month. This all makes Wikipedia one of the most popular web properties in
the world. Based in San Francisco, California, the Wikimedia Foundation is
a 501(c)(3) charity that is funded primarily through donations and grants.

Esra’a Al Shafei profile

Esra'a Al Shafei is a human rights activist and the founder and director of
Majal, a nonprofit which helps build communities that celebrate, protect,
and promote diversity, and social justice.

A native of Bahrain, Esra'a works avidly to increase and protect free
speech, promote expression for youth and underrepresented voices, and
improve the lives of LGBTQ people in the Middle East and North Africa. She
founded Majal in 2006 as Mideast Youth. The organization has built online
platforms that creatively facilitate the struggle for social change in the
Middle East and North Africa.

Esra'a received the Berkman Award for Internet Innovation from Berkman
Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School in 2008 for
"outstanding contributions to the internet and its impact on society." The
World Economic Forum listed her as one of "15 Women Changing the World in
2015."

She has won the "Most Courageous Media" Prize from Free Press Unlimited,
and the Monaco Media Prize, which acknowledges innovative uses of media for
the betterment of humanity.

> Hi everyone,
>
> With the appointment of Raju to the Board of Trustees a couple of months
> ago, we were left with a remaining open vacancy to fill. I am thrilled to
> share that after several months of searching and discussions, we have made
> another important appointment. At our November Board Retreat, the Board
> appointed and welcomed Esra’a Al Shafei to fill our vacant expert seat.
>
> Esra'a is a prominent international human rights activist and social
> entrepreneur. She founded and directs Majal, a nonprofit which utilizes
> digital media to amplify under-reported and marginalized voices throughout
> the Middle East and North Africa. For those of you that heard her keynote
> presentation at this year's Wikimania, I think you will agree she will make
> a very valuable addition to the Board and brings an important perspective
> and skillset to the Board's efforts.
>
> Below (and on the Wikimedia Blog) you will find the official announcement
> about Esra’a Al Shafei. Please join me in warmly welcoming her to the
> Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees and to the Wikimedia movement!
>
> Christophe
> Chair, Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees
>
> P.S. Due to the nature of Esra’a’s work, sharing photos or videos of Esra’a
> may endanger her safety or the safety of others. To help ensure the privacy
> and safety of Esra’a and her colleagues, we are not sharing any photographs
> or videos of Esra'a. We ask that you please join us in supporting this
> important safety consideration.
>
>
> Press release
>
> Header: Esra'a Al Shafei joins Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees
>
> Subheader: Bahraini human rights activist and social entrepreneur brings to
> the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees more than a decade of experience
> in applying creative solutions to challenges faced by underserved and
> underrepresented communities.
>
> Image: https://wikimania2017.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Esraa.png[a]
> <https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1wNmwgJkUPp25nVLRVgX5WzU_> LuEi5a9gJDpB7HWEft4/mobilebasic#cmnt1>
> [b]
> <https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1wNmwgJkUPp25nVLRVgX5WzU_> LuEi5a9gJDpB7HWEft4/mobilebasic#cmnt2>
> [c]
> <https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1wNmwgJkUPp25nVLRVgX5WzU_> LuEi5a9gJDpB7HWEft4/mobilebasic#cmnt3>
> [d]
> <https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1wNmwgJkUPp25nVLRVgX5WzU_> LuEi5a9gJDpB7HWEft4/mobilebasic#cmnt4>
>
> San Francisco, California, 1 December 2017 — The Wikimedia Foundation today
> announced the appointment of Esra'a Al Shafei, a prominent human rights
> activist and a passionate defender of free expression, to the Wikimedia
> Foundation Board of Trustees.
>
> A native of Bahrain, Esra'a’s work aims to increase and protect free
> speech, promote expression for youth and underrepresented voices, and
> improve the lives of LGBTQ people in the Middle East and North Africa. She
> founded and directs Majal, a network of online platforms that
> amplify under-reported and marginalized voices.
>
> “Esra'a shares Wikimedia's foundational belief that shared knowledge can
> facilitate shared understanding,” said Wikimedia Foundation Executive
> Director, Katherine Maher. "Her achievements exemplify how intentional
> community building can be a powerful tool for positive change, while
> her passion
> for beautiful and engaging user experiences will only elevate our work. We
> are so fortunate to have her perspective in support of our global Wikimedia
> communities."
>
> Esra'a founded Majal in 2006 as Mideast Youth, at the time a series of
> blogs bringing a voice to marginalized and underrepresented young
> people across the Middle East. Today, the organization's team helps build
> communities that celebrate, protect, and promote diversity and social
> justice. Their endeavors include CrowdVoice.org, which curates crowdsourced
> media to contextualize social movements throughout the world; Mideast
> Tunes, the largest web and mobile app showcasing underground musicians in
> the Middle East and North Africa who use music as a tool for social change;
> and Ahwaa.org, an open discussion platform for Arab LGBTQ individuals that
> uses game mechanics to protect and engage its community.
>
>
> “When I first encountered Wikipedia shortly after obtaining an internet
> connection in the early 2000s, I felt that the true purpose of the internet
> was realized. With Wikipedia, I accessed research regarding persecuted
> communities in my home country and the wider region: ethnic and religious
> minorities whom we were discouraged from learning about, and whose
> histories and beliefs were dictated to us from a singular government
> perspective. Wikipedia’s open source and crowdsourcing practices would
> inspire the platforms I built to advocate for underrepresented communities,
> and the internet would shape my life’s work in advocating for freedom of
> expression and identity around the world,” said Esra'a.
>
> Esra'a received the Berkman Award for Internet Innovation from the Berkman
> Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School in 2008 for
> "outstanding contributions to the internet and its impact on society." The
> World Economic Forum listed her as one of "15 Women Changing the World in
> 2015." She has won the "Most Courageous Media" Prize from Free Press
> Unlimited, and the Monaco Media Prize, which acknowledges innovative uses
> of media for the betterment of humanity.
>
> She has been featured in Fast Company as one of the "100 Most Creative
> People in Business;" in The Daily Beast as one of the 17 bravest bloggers
> worldwide; and in Forbes' "30 Under 30" list of social entrepreneurs making
> an impact in the world.
>
> Esra'a was a keynote speaker at Wikimania 2017 in Montreal, the annual
> conference centered on the Wikimedia projects.
>
> “Esra'a brings tech expertise and a valuable perspective to the Board -
> coming from a region where access to information is not taken for granted.
> I was impressed by her talk during Wikimania 2017 on 'Experiences from the
> Middle East: Overcoming Challenges and Serving Communities'. I think her
> experience in that region will be important to our efforts around the
> globe,” said Nataliia Tymkiv, Governance Chair for the Board.
>
> Esra'a is a senior TED Fellow, an Echoing Green fellow, and a Director’s
> Fellow at the MIT Media Lab. She received a Shuttleworth Foundation
> Fellowship in 2012 for her work on CrowdVoice.org.
>
> Esra'a joins nine other Foundation Trustees
> <<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%">https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%> 3Dhttps://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Board_of_Trustees%
> 26amp;sa%3DD%26amp;ust%3D1512164054873000%26amp;usg%
> 3DAFQjCNHvsp86oFFv5hD8SZzexjBIHdrkWA&sa=D&ust=1512164054901000&usg=
> AFQjCNGS6qlGUSUBQzF5PmvviPecf7Kw4A>
> who
> collectively bring expertise in the Wikimedia community, financial
> oversight, governance, and organizational development; and a commitment to
> advancing Wikimedia’s mission of free knowledge for all.
>
> She was approved unanimously by the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees.
> Her term is effective December 2017 and will continue for three years.
> Please see the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees
> <<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%">https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%> 3Dhttps://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Board_of_Trustees%
> 26amp;sa%3DD%26amp;ust%3D1512164054873000%26amp;usg%
> 3DAFQjCNHvsp86oFFv5hD8SZzexjBIHdrkWA&sa=D&ust=1512164054901000&usg=
> AFQjCNGS6qlGUSUBQzF5PmvviPecf7Kw4A>
> for
> complete biographies.
>
> About the Wikimedia Foundation
>
> The Wikimedia Foundation is the non-profit organization that supports and
> operates Wikipedia and its sister free knowledge projects. Wikipedia is the
> world’s free knowledge resource, spanning more than 45 million articles
> across nearly 300 languages. Every month, more than 200,000 people edit
> Wikipedia and the Wikimedia projects, collectively creating and improving
> knowledge that is accessed by more than 1 billion unique devices every
> month. This all makes Wikipedia one of the most popular web properties in
> the world. Based in San Francisco, California, the Wikimedia Foundation is
> a 501(c)(3) charity that is funded primarily through donations and grants.
>
> Esra’a Al Shafei profile
>
> Esra'a Al Shafei is a human rights activist and the founder and director of
> Majal, a nonprofit which helps build communities that celebrate, protect,
> and promote diversity, and social justice.
>
> A native of Bahrain, Esra'a works avidly to increase and protect free
> speech, promote expression for youth and underrepresented voices, and
> improve the lives of LGBTQ people in the Middle East and North Africa. She
> founded Majal in 2006 as Mideast Youth. The organization has built online
> platforms that creatively facilitate the struggle for social change in the
> Middle East and North Africa.
>
> Esra'a received the Berkman Award for Internet Innovation from Berkman
> Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School in 2008 for
> "outstanding contributions to the internet and its impact on society." The
> World Economic Forum listed her as one of "15 Women Changing the World in
> 2015."
>
> She has won the "Most Courageous Media" Prize from Free Press Unlimited,
> and the Monaco Media Prize, which acknowledges innovative uses of media for
> the betterment of humanity.
>
> Esra'a is a senior TED Fellow, an Echoing Green fellow, and a Director’s
> Fellow at the MIT Media Lab. She received a Shuttleworth Foundation
> Fellowship in 2012 for her work on CrowdVoice.org. She lives in the Middle
> East and North Africa region.
> _______________________________________________
> Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/> wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/> wiki/Wikimedia-l
> New messages to: [hidden email]> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l,
> <mailto:[hidden email]?subject=unsubscribe>

> Welcome, Esra'a. Thank you for taking the time to serve. I look forward to
> your contribution.
> /a
>
> On Fri, Dec 1, 2017 at 12:59 PM, Christophe Henner <[hidden email]>
> wrote:
>
> > Hi everyone,
> >
> > With the appointment of Raju to the Board of Trustees a couple of months
> > ago, we were left with a remaining open vacancy to fill. I am thrilled to
> > share that after several months of searching and discussions, we have
> made
> > another important appointment. At our November Board Retreat, the Board
> > appointed and welcomed Esra’a Al Shafei to fill our vacant expert seat.
> >
> > Esra'a is a prominent international human rights activist and social
> > entrepreneur. She founded and directs Majal, a nonprofit which utilizes
> > digital media to amplify under-reported and marginalized voices
> throughout
> > the Middle East and North Africa. For those of you that heard her keynote
> > presentation at this year's Wikimania, I think you will agree she will
> make
> > a very valuable addition to the Board and brings an important perspective
> > and skillset to the Board's efforts.
> >
> > Below (and on the Wikimedia Blog) you will find the official announcement
> > about Esra’a Al Shafei. Please join me in warmly welcoming her to the
> > Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees and to the Wikimedia movement!
> >
> > Christophe
> > Chair, Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees
> >
> > P.S. Due to the nature of Esra’a’s work, sharing photos or videos of
> Esra’a
> > may endanger her safety or the safety of others. To help ensure the
> privacy
> > and safety of Esra’a and her colleagues, we are not sharing any
> photographs
> > or videos of Esra'a. We ask that you please join us in supporting this
> > important safety consideration.
> >
> >
> > Press release
> >
> > Header: Esra'a Al Shafei joins Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees
> >
> > Subheader: Bahraini human rights activist and social entrepreneur brings
> to
> > the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees more than a decade of
> experience
> > in applying creative solutions to challenges faced by underserved and
> > underrepresented communities.
> >
> > Image: https://wikimania2017.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Esraa.png[a]
> > <https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1wNmwgJkUPp25nVLRVgX5WzU_> > LuEi5a9gJDpB7HWEft4/mobilebasic#cmnt1>
> > [b]
> > <https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1wNmwgJkUPp25nVLRVgX5WzU_> > LuEi5a9gJDpB7HWEft4/mobilebasic#cmnt2>
> > [c]
> > <https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1wNmwgJkUPp25nVLRVgX5WzU_> > LuEi5a9gJDpB7HWEft4/mobilebasic#cmnt3>
> > [d]
> > <https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1wNmwgJkUPp25nVLRVgX5WzU_> > LuEi5a9gJDpB7HWEft4/mobilebasic#cmnt4>
> >
> > San Francisco, California, 1 December 2017 — The Wikimedia Foundation
> today
> > announced the appointment of Esra'a Al Shafei, a prominent human rights
> > activist and a passionate defender of free expression, to the Wikimedia
> > Foundation Board of Trustees.
> >
> > A native of Bahrain, Esra'a’s work aims to increase and protect free
> > speech, promote expression for youth and underrepresented voices, and
> > improve the lives of LGBTQ people in the Middle East and North Africa.
> She
> > founded and directs Majal, a network of online platforms that
> > amplify under-reported and marginalized voices.
> >
> > “Esra'a shares Wikimedia's foundational belief that shared knowledge can
> > facilitate shared understanding,” said Wikimedia Foundation Executive
> > Director, Katherine Maher. "Her achievements exemplify how intentional
> > community building can be a powerful tool for positive change, while
> > her passion
> > for beautiful and engaging user experiences will only elevate our work.
> We
> > are so fortunate to have her perspective in support of our global
> Wikimedia
> > communities."
> >
> > Esra'a founded Majal in 2006 as Mideast Youth, at the time a series of
> > blogs bringing a voice to marginalized and underrepresented young
> > people across the Middle East. Today, the organization's team helps build
> > communities that celebrate, protect, and promote diversity and social
> > justice. Their endeavors include CrowdVoice.org, which curates
> crowdsourced
> > media to contextualize social movements throughout the world; Mideast
> > Tunes, the largest web and mobile app showcasing underground musicians in
> > the Middle East and North Africa who use music as a tool for social
> change;
> > and Ahwaa.org, an open discussion platform for Arab LGBTQ individuals
> that
> > uses game mechanics to protect and engage its community.
> >
> >
> > “When I first encountered Wikipedia shortly after obtaining an internet
> > connection in the early 2000s, I felt that the true purpose of the
> internet
> > was realized. With Wikipedia, I accessed research regarding persecuted
> > communities in my home country and the wider region: ethnic and religious
> > minorities whom we were discouraged from learning about, and whose
> > histories and beliefs were dictated to us from a singular government
> > perspective. Wikipedia’s open source and crowdsourcing practices would
> > inspire the platforms I built to advocate for underrepresented
> communities,
> > and the internet would shape my life’s work in advocating for freedom of
> > expression and identity around the world,” said Esra'a.
> >
> > Esra'a received the Berkman Award for Internet Innovation from the
> Berkman
> > Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School in 2008 for
> > "outstanding contributions to the internet and its impact on society."
> The
> > World Economic Forum listed her as one of "15 Women Changing the World in
> > 2015." She has won the "Most Courageous Media" Prize from Free Press
> > Unlimited, and the Monaco Media Prize, which acknowledges innovative uses
> > of media for the betterment of humanity.
> >
> > She has been featured in Fast Company as one of the "100 Most Creative
> > People in Business;" in The Daily Beast as one of the 17 bravest bloggers
> > worldwide; and in Forbes' "30 Under 30" list of social entrepreneurs
> making
> > an impact in the world.
> >
> > Esra'a was a keynote speaker at Wikimania 2017 in Montreal, the annual
> > conference centered on the Wikimedia projects.
> >
> > “Esra'a brings tech expertise and a valuable perspective to the Board -
> > coming from a region where access to information is not taken for
> granted.
> > I was impressed by her talk during Wikimania 2017 on 'Experiences from
> the
> > Middle East: Overcoming Challenges and Serving Communities'. I think her
> > experience in that region will be important to our efforts around the
> > globe,” said Nataliia Tymkiv, Governance Chair for the Board.
> >
> > Esra'a is a senior TED Fellow, an Echoing Green fellow, and a Director’s
> > Fellow at the MIT Media Lab. She received a Shuttleworth Foundation
> > Fellowship in 2012 for her work on CrowdVoice.org.
> >
> > Esra'a joins nine other Foundation Trustees
> > <<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%">https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%> > 3Dhttps://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Board_of_Trustees%
> > 26amp;sa%3DD%26amp;ust%3D1512164054873000%26amp;usg%
> > 3DAFQjCNHvsp86oFFv5hD8SZzexjBIHdrkWA&sa=D&ust=1512164054901000&usg=
> > AFQjCNGS6qlGUSUBQzF5PmvviPecf7Kw4A>
> > who
> > collectively bring expertise in the Wikimedia community, financial
> > oversight, governance, and organizational development; and a commitment
> to
> > advancing Wikimedia’s mission of free knowledge for all.
> >
> > She was approved unanimously by the Wikimedia Foundation Board of
> Trustees.
> > Her term is effective December 2017 and will continue for three years.
> > Please see the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees
> > <<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%">https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%> > 3Dhttps://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Board_of_Trustees%
> > 26amp;sa%3DD%26amp;ust%3D1512164054873000%26amp;usg%
> > 3DAFQjCNHvsp86oFFv5hD8SZzexjBIHdrkWA&sa=D&ust=1512164054901000&usg=
> > AFQjCNGS6qlGUSUBQzF5PmvviPecf7Kw4A>
> > for
> > complete biographies.
> >
> > About the Wikimedia Foundation
> >
> > The Wikimedia Foundation is the non-profit organization that supports and
> > operates Wikipedia and its sister free knowledge projects. Wikipedia is
> the
> > world’s free knowledge resource, spanning more than 45 million articles
> > across nearly 300 languages. Every month, more than 200,000 people edit
> > Wikipedia and the Wikimedia projects, collectively creating and improving
> > knowledge that is accessed by more than 1 billion unique devices every
> > month. This all makes Wikipedia one of the most popular web properties in
> > the world. Based in San Francisco, California, the Wikimedia Foundation
> is
> > a 501(c)(3) charity that is funded primarily through donations and
> grants.
> >
> > Esra’a Al Shafei profile
> >
> > Esra'a Al Shafei is a human rights activist and the founder and director
> of
> > Majal, a nonprofit which helps build communities that celebrate, protect,
> > and promote diversity, and social justice.
> >
> > A native of Bahrain, Esra'a works avidly to increase and protect free
> > speech, promote expression for youth and underrepresented voices, and
> > improve the lives of LGBTQ people in the Middle East and North Africa.
> She
> > founded Majal in 2006 as Mideast Youth. The organization has built online
> > platforms that creatively facilitate the struggle for social change in
> the
> > Middle East and North Africa.
> >
> > Esra'a received the Berkman Award for Internet Innovation from Berkman
> > Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School in 2008 for
> > "outstanding contributions to the internet and its impact on society."
> The
> > World Economic Forum listed her as one of "15 Women Changing the World in
> > 2015."
> >
> > She has won the "Most Courageous Media" Prize from Free Press Unlimited,
> > and the Monaco Media Prize, which acknowledges innovative uses of media
> for
> > the betterment of humanity.
> >
> > Esra'a is a senior TED Fellow, an Echoing Green fellow, and a Director’s
> > Fellow at the MIT Media Lab. She received a Shuttleworth Foundation
> > Fellowship in 2012 for her work on CrowdVoice.org. She lives in the
> Middle
> > East and North Africa region.
> > _______________________________________________
> > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/> > wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/> > wiki/Wikimedia-l
> > New messages to: [hidden email]> > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l,
> > <mailto:[hidden email]?subject=unsubscribe>
> _______________________________________________
> Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at:
> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and
> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l> New messages to: [hidden email]> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l,
> <mailto:[hidden email]?subject=unsubscribe>

> Welcome, Esra'a. Thank you for taking the time to serve. I look forward to
> your contribution.
> /a
>
> On Fri, Dec 1, 2017 at 12:59 PM, Christophe Henner <[hidden email]>
> wrote:
>
> > Hi everyone,
> >
> > With the appointment of Raju to the Board of Trustees a couple of months
> > ago, we were left with a remaining open vacancy to fill. I am thrilled to
> > share that after several months of searching and discussions, we have
> made
> > another important appointment. At our November Board Retreat, the Board
> > appointed and welcomed Esra’a Al Shafei to fill our vacant expert seat.
> >
> > Esra'a is a prominent international human rights activist and social
> > entrepreneur. She founded and directs Majal, a nonprofit which utilizes
> > digital media to amplify under-reported and marginalized voices
> throughout
> > the Middle East and North Africa. For those of you that heard her keynote
> > presentation at this year's Wikimania, I think you will agree she will
> make
> > a very valuable addition to the Board and brings an important perspective
> > and skillset to the Board's efforts.
> >
> > Below (and on the Wikimedia Blog) you will find the official announcement
> > about Esra’a Al Shafei. Please join me in warmly welcoming her to the
> > Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees and to the Wikimedia movement!
> >
> > Christophe
> > Chair, Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees
> >
> > P.S. Due to the nature of Esra’a’s work, sharing photos or videos of
> Esra’a
> > may endanger her safety or the safety of others. To help ensure the
> privacy
> > and safety of Esra’a and her colleagues, we are not sharing any
> photographs
> > or videos of Esra'a. We ask that you please join us in supporting this
> > important safety consideration.
> >
> >
> > Press release
> >
> > Header: Esra'a Al Shafei joins Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees
> >
> > Subheader: Bahraini human rights activist and social entrepreneur brings
> to
> > the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees more than a decade of
> experience
> > in applying creative solutions to challenges faced by underserved and
> > underrepresented communities.
> >
> > Image: https://wikimania2017.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Esraa.png[a]
> > <https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1wNmwgJkUPp25nVLRVgX5WzU_> > LuEi5a9gJDpB7HWEft4/mobilebasic#cmnt1>
> > [b]
> > <https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1wNmwgJkUPp25nVLRVgX5WzU_> > LuEi5a9gJDpB7HWEft4/mobilebasic#cmnt2>
> > [c]
> > <https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1wNmwgJkUPp25nVLRVgX5WzU_> > LuEi5a9gJDpB7HWEft4/mobilebasic#cmnt3>
> > [d]
> > <https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1wNmwgJkUPp25nVLRVgX5WzU_> > LuEi5a9gJDpB7HWEft4/mobilebasic#cmnt4>
> >
> > San Francisco, California, 1 December 2017 — The Wikimedia Foundation
> today
> > announced the appointment of Esra'a Al Shafei, a prominent human rights
> > activist and a passionate defender of free expression, to the Wikimedia
> > Foundation Board of Trustees.
> >
> > A native of Bahrain, Esra'a’s work aims to increase and protect free
> > speech, promote expression for youth and underrepresented voices, and
> > improve the lives of LGBTQ people in the Middle East and North Africa.
> She
> > founded and directs Majal, a network of online platforms that
> > amplify under-reported and marginalized voices.
> >
> > “Esra'a shares Wikimedia's foundational belief that shared knowledge can
> > facilitate shared understanding,” said Wikimedia Foundation Executive
> > Director, Katherine Maher. "Her achievements exemplify how intentional
> > community building can be a powerful tool for positive change, while
> > her passion
> > for beautiful and engaging user experiences will only elevate our work.
> We
> > are so fortunate to have her perspective in support of our global
> Wikimedia
> > communities."
> >
> > Esra'a founded Majal in 2006 as Mideast Youth, at the time a series of
> > blogs bringing a voice to marginalized and underrepresented young
> > people across the Middle East. Today, the organization's team helps build
> > communities that celebrate, protect, and promote diversity and social
> > justice. Their endeavors include CrowdVoice.org, which curates
> crowdsourced
> > media to contextualize social movements throughout the world; Mideast
> > Tunes, the largest web and mobile app showcasing underground musicians in
> > the Middle East and North Africa who use music as a tool for social
> change;
> > and Ahwaa.org, an open discussion platform for Arab LGBTQ individuals
> that
> > uses game mechanics to protect and engage its community.
> >
> >
> > “When I first encountered Wikipedia shortly after obtaining an internet
> > connection in the early 2000s, I felt that the true purpose of the
> internet
> > was realized. With Wikipedia, I accessed research regarding persecuted
> > communities in my home country and the wider region: ethnic and religious
> > minorities whom we were discouraged from learning about, and whose
> > histories and beliefs were dictated to us from a singular government
> > perspective. Wikipedia’s open source and crowdsourcing practices would
> > inspire the platforms I built to advocate for underrepresented
> communities,
> > and the internet would shape my life’s work in advocating for freedom of
> > expression and identity around the world,” said Esra'a.
> >
> > Esra'a received the Berkman Award for Internet Innovation from the
> Berkman
> > Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School in 2008 for
> > "outstanding contributions to the internet and its impact on society."
> The
> > World Economic Forum listed her as one of "15 Women Changing the World in
> > 2015." She has won the "Most Courageous Media" Prize from Free Press
> > Unlimited, and the Monaco Media Prize, which acknowledges innovative uses
> > of media for the betterment of humanity.
> >
> > She has been featured in Fast Company as one of the "100 Most Creative
> > People in Business;" in The Daily Beast as one of the 17 bravest bloggers
> > worldwide; and in Forbes' "30 Under 30" list of social entrepreneurs
> making
> > an impact in the world.
> >
> > Esra'a was a keynote speaker at Wikimania 2017 in Montreal, the annual
> > conference centered on the Wikimedia projects.
> >
> > “Esra'a brings tech expertise and a valuable perspective to the Board -
> > coming from a region where access to information is not taken for
> granted.
> > I was impressed by her talk during Wikimania 2017 on 'Experiences from
> the
> > Middle East: Overcoming Challenges and Serving Communities'. I think her
> > experience in that region will be important to our efforts around the
> > globe,” said Nataliia Tymkiv, Governance Chair for the Board.
> >
> > Esra'a is a senior TED Fellow, an Echoing Green fellow, and a Director’s
> > Fellow at the MIT Media Lab. She received a Shuttleworth Foundation
> > Fellowship in 2012 for her work on CrowdVoice.org.
> >
> > Esra'a joins nine other Foundation Trustees
> > <<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%">https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%> > 3Dhttps://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Board_of_Trustees%
> > 26amp;sa%3DD%26amp;ust%3D1512164054873000%26amp;usg%
> > 3DAFQjCNHvsp86oFFv5hD8SZzexjBIHdrkWA&sa=D&ust=1512164054901000&usg=
> > AFQjCNGS6qlGUSUBQzF5PmvviPecf7Kw4A>
> > who
> > collectively bring expertise in the Wikimedia community, financial
> > oversight, governance, and organizational development; and a commitment
> to
> > advancing Wikimedia’s mission of free knowledge for all.
> >
> > She was approved unanimously by the Wikimedia Foundation Board of
> Trustees.
> > Her term is effective December 2017 and will continue for three years.
> > Please see the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees
> > <<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%">https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%> > 3Dhttps://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Board_of_Trustees%
> > 26amp;sa%3DD%26amp;ust%3D1512164054873000%26amp;usg%
> > 3DAFQjCNHvsp86oFFv5hD8SZzexjBIHdrkWA&sa=D&ust=1512164054901000&usg=
> > AFQjCNGS6qlGUSUBQzF5PmvviPecf7Kw4A>
> > for
> > complete biographies.
> >
> > About the Wikimedia Foundation
> >
> > The Wikimedia Foundation is the non-profit organization that supports and
> > operates Wikipedia and its sister free knowledge projects. Wikipedia is
> the
> > world’s free knowledge resource, spanning more than 45 million articles
> > across nearly 300 languages. Every month, more than 200,000 people edit
> > Wikipedia and the Wikimedia projects, collectively creating and improving
> > knowledge that is accessed by more than 1 billion unique devices every
> > month. This all makes Wikipedia one of the most popular web properties in
> > the world. Based in San Francisco, California, the Wikimedia Foundation
> is
> > a 501(c)(3) charity that is funded primarily through donations and
> grants.
> >
> > Esra’a Al Shafei profile
> >
> > Esra'a Al Shafei is a human rights activist and the founder and director
> of
> > Majal, a nonprofit which helps build communities that celebrate, protect,
> > and promote diversity, and social justice.
> >
> > A native of Bahrain, Esra'a works avidly to increase and protect free
> > speech, promote expression for youth and underrepresented voices, and
> > improve the lives of LGBTQ people in the Middle East and North Africa.
> She
> > founded Majal in 2006 as Mideast Youth. The organization has built online
> > platforms that creatively facilitate the struggle for social change in
> the
> > Middle East and North Africa.
> >
> > Esra'a received the Berkman Award for Internet Innovation from Berkman
> > Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School in 2008 for
> > "outstanding contributions to the internet and its impact on society."
> The
> > World Economic Forum listed her as one of "15 Women Changing the World in
> > 2015."
> >
> > She has won the "Most Courageous Media" Prize from Free Press Unlimited,
> > and the Monaco Media Prize, which acknowledges innovative uses of media
> for
> > the betterment of humanity.
> >
> > Esra'a is a senior TED Fellow, an Echoing Green fellow, and a Director’s
> > Fellow at the MIT Media Lab. She received a Shuttleworth Foundation
> > Fellowship in 2012 for her work on CrowdVoice.org. She lives in the
> Middle
> > East and North Africa region.
> > _______________________________________________
> > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/> > wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/> > wiki/Wikimedia-l
> > New messages to: [hidden email]> > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l,
> > <mailto:[hidden email]?subject=unsubscribe>
> _______________________________________________
> Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at:
> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and
> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l> New messages to: [hidden email]> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l,
> <mailto:[hidden email]?subject=unsubscribe>

> Hi everyone,
>
> With the appointment of Raju to the Board of Trustees a couple of months
> ago, we were left with a remaining open vacancy to fill. I am thrilled to
> share that after several months of searching and discussions, we have made
> another important appointment. At our November Board Retreat, the Board
> appointed and welcomed Esra’a Al Shafei to fill our vacant expert seat.
>
> Esra'a is a prominent international human rights activist and social
> entrepreneur. She founded and directs Majal, a nonprofit which utilizes
> digital media to amplify under-reported and marginalized voices throughout
> the Middle East and North Africa. For those of you that heard her keynote
> presentation at this year's Wikimania, I think you will agree she will make
> a very valuable addition to the Board and brings an important perspective
> and skillset to the Board's efforts.
>
> Below (and on the Wikimedia Blog) you will find the official announcement
> about Esra’a Al Shafei. Please join me in warmly welcoming her to the
> Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees and to the Wikimedia movement!
>
> Christophe
> Chair, Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees
>
> P.S. Due to the nature of Esra’a’s work, sharing photos or videos of Esra’a
> may endanger her safety or the safety of others. To help ensure the privacy
> and safety of Esra’a and her colleagues, we are not sharing any photographs
> or videos of Esra'a. We ask that you please join us in supporting this
> important safety consideration.
>
>
> Press release
>
> Header: Esra'a Al Shafei joins Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees
>
> Subheader: Bahraini human rights activist and social entrepreneur brings to
> the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees more than a decade of experience
> in applying creative solutions to challenges faced by underserved and
> underrepresented communities.
>
> Image: https://wikimania2017.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Esraa.png[a]
> <https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1wNmwgJkUPp25nVLRVgX5WzU_> LuEi5a9gJDpB7HWEft4/mobilebasic#cmnt1>
> [b]
> <https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1wNmwgJkUPp25nVLRVgX5WzU_> LuEi5a9gJDpB7HWEft4/mobilebasic#cmnt2>
> [c]
> <https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1wNmwgJkUPp25nVLRVgX5WzU_> LuEi5a9gJDpB7HWEft4/mobilebasic#cmnt3>
> [d]
> <https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1wNmwgJkUPp25nVLRVgX5WzU_> LuEi5a9gJDpB7HWEft4/mobilebasic#cmnt4>
>
> San Francisco, California, 1 December 2017 — The Wikimedia Foundation today
> announced the appointment of Esra'a Al Shafei, a prominent human rights
> activist and a passionate defender of free expression, to the Wikimedia
> Foundation Board of Trustees.
>
> A native of Bahrain, Esra'a’s work aims to increase and protect free
> speech, promote expression for youth and underrepresented voices, and
> improve the lives of LGBTQ people in the Middle East and North Africa. She
> founded and directs Majal, a network of online platforms that
> amplify under-reported and marginalized voices.
>
> “Esra'a shares Wikimedia's foundational belief that shared knowledge can
> facilitate shared understanding,” said Wikimedia Foundation Executive
> Director, Katherine Maher. "Her achievements exemplify how intentional
> community building can be a powerful tool for positive change, while
> her passion
> for beautiful and engaging user experiences will only elevate our work. We
> are so fortunate to have her perspective in support of our global Wikimedia
> communities."
>
> Esra'a founded Majal in 2006 as Mideast Youth, at the time a series of
> blogs bringing a voice to marginalized and underrepresented young
> people across the Middle East. Today, the organization's team helps build
> communities that celebrate, protect, and promote diversity and social
> justice. Their endeavors include CrowdVoice.org, which curates crowdsourced
> media to contextualize social movements throughout the world; Mideast
> Tunes, the largest web and mobile app showcasing underground musicians in
> the Middle East and North Africa who use music as a tool for social change;
> and Ahwaa.org, an open discussion platform for Arab LGBTQ individuals that
> uses game mechanics to protect and engage its community.
>
>
> “When I first encountered Wikipedia shortly after obtaining an internet
> connection in the early 2000s, I felt that the true purpose of the internet
> was realized. With Wikipedia, I accessed research regarding persecuted
> communities in my home country and the wider region: ethnic and religious
> minorities whom we were discouraged from learning about, and whose
> histories and beliefs were dictated to us from a singular government
> perspective. Wikipedia’s open source and crowdsourcing practices would
> inspire the platforms I built to advocate for underrepresented communities,
> and the internet would shape my life’s work in advocating for freedom of
> expression and identity around the world,” said Esra'a.
>
> Esra'a received the Berkman Award for Internet Innovation from the Berkman
> Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School in 2008 for
> "outstanding contributions to the internet and its impact on society." The
> World Economic Forum listed her as one of "15 Women Changing the World in
> 2015." She has won the "Most Courageous Media" Prize from Free Press
> Unlimited, and the Monaco Media Prize, which acknowledges innovative uses
> of media for the betterment of humanity.
>
> She has been featured in Fast Company as one of the "100 Most Creative
> People in Business;" in The Daily Beast as one of the 17 bravest bloggers
> worldwide; and in Forbes' "30 Under 30" list of social entrepreneurs making
> an impact in the world.
>
> Esra'a was a keynote speaker at Wikimania 2017 in Montreal, the annual
> conference centered on the Wikimedia projects.
>
> “Esra'a brings tech expertise and a valuable perspective to the Board -
> coming from a region where access to information is not taken for granted.
> I was impressed by her talk during Wikimania 2017 on 'Experiences from the
> Middle East: Overcoming Challenges and Serving Communities'. I think her
> experience in that region will be important to our efforts around the
> globe,” said Nataliia Tymkiv, Governance Chair for the Board.
>
> Esra'a is a senior TED Fellow, an Echoing Green fellow, and a Director’s
> Fellow at the MIT Media Lab. She received a Shuttleworth Foundation
> Fellowship in 2012 for her work on CrowdVoice.org.
>
> Esra'a joins nine other Foundation Trustees
> <<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%">https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%> 3Dhttps://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Board_of_Trustees%
> 26amp;sa%3DD%26amp;ust%3D1512164054873000%26amp;usg%
> 3DAFQjCNHvsp86oFFv5hD8SZzexjBIHdrkWA&sa=D&ust=1512164054901000&usg=
> AFQjCNGS6qlGUSUBQzF5PmvviPecf7Kw4A>
> who
> collectively bring expertise in the Wikimedia community, financial
> oversight, governance, and organizational development; and a commitment to
> advancing Wikimedia’s mission of free knowledge for all.
>
> She was approved unanimously by the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees.
> Her term is effective December 2017 and will continue for three years.
> Please see the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees
> <<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%">https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%> 3Dhttps://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Board_of_Trustees%
> 26amp;sa%3DD%26amp;ust%3D1512164054873000%26amp;usg%
> 3DAFQjCNHvsp86oFFv5hD8SZzexjBIHdrkWA&sa=D&ust=1512164054901000&usg=
> AFQjCNGS6qlGUSUBQzF5PmvviPecf7Kw4A>
> for
> complete biographies.
>
> About the Wikimedia Foundation
>
> The Wikimedia Foundation is the non-profit organization that supports and
> operates Wikipedia and its sister free knowledge projects. Wikipedia is the
> world’s free knowledge resource, spanning more than 45 million articles
> across nearly 300 languages. Every month, more than 200,000 people edit
> Wikipedia and the Wikimedia projects, collectively creating and improving
> knowledge that is accessed by more than 1 billion unique devices every
> month. This all makes Wikipedia one of the most popular web properties in
> the world. Based in San Francisco, California, the Wikimedia Foundation is
> a 501(c)(3) charity that is funded primarily through donations and grants.
>
> Esra’a Al Shafei profile
>
> Esra'a Al Shafei is a human rights activist and the founder and director of
> Majal, a nonprofit which helps build communities that celebrate, protect,
> and promote diversity, and social justice.
>
> A native of Bahrain, Esra'a works avidly to increase and protect free
> speech, promote expression for youth and underrepresented voices, and
> improve the lives of LGBTQ people in the Middle East and North Africa. She
> founded Majal in 2006 as Mideast Youth. The organization has built online
> platforms that creatively facilitate the struggle for social change in the
> Middle East and North Africa.
>
> Esra'a received the Berkman Award for Internet Innovation from Berkman
> Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School in 2008 for
> "outstanding contributions to the internet and its impact on society." The
> World Economic Forum listed her as one of "15 Women Changing the World in
> 2015."
>
> She has won the "Most Courageous Media" Prize from Free Press Unlimited,
> and the Monaco Media Prize, which acknowledges innovative uses of media for
> the betterment of humanity.
>
> Esra'a is a senior TED Fellow, an Echoing Green fellow, and a Director’s
> Fellow at the MIT Media Lab. She received a Shuttleworth Foundation
> Fellowship in 2012 for her work on CrowdVoice.org. She lives in the Middle
> East and North Africa region.
> _______________________________________________
> Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/> wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/> wiki/Wikimedia-l
> New messages to: [hidden email]> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l,
> <mailto:[hidden email]?subject=unsubscribe>

Those of you who were at Wikimania or watching on the livestream had the
chance to get acquainted with Esra'a through her keynote. I'm certain that,
if you were part of that audience, you'll join me in agreeing that she is
an exceptional and accomplished individual who brings a whole host of
talents to our movement. I'm personally delighted that she will be lending
her perspective and wisdom to our movement and to the governance of the
Wikimedia Foundation. There is so much we can learn from her, and I hope
she finds her tenure on the Board to be rewarding.

Esra'a, thank you so very much for joining our Board and engaging even more
with our movement! It is an honor to have this opportunity to work with you.

"P.S. Due to the nature of Esra’a’s work, sharing photos or videos of Esra’a may endanger her safety or the safety of others. To help ensure the privacy and safety of Esra’a and her colleagues, we are not sharing any photographs or videos of Esra'a. We ask that you please join us in supporting this important safety consideration.”

This is security by obscurity (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q133735) - which is at best a temporary measure that won’t last, particularly in a high-profile position like this. Aside from the potential media coverage, Wikimedia events are very well photographed by Wikimedians who want to illustrate a rather well-read encyclopaedia… This leads to an awkward situation where someone’s safety and Wikimedia’s openness are conflicting, which is not OK.

Thanks,
Mike

> On 1 Dec 2017, at 19:59, Katherine Maher <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> Thank you, Christophe, for sharing this excellent news.
>
> Those of you who were at Wikimania or watching on the livestream had the
> chance to get acquainted with Esra'a through her keynote. I'm certain that,
> if you were part of that audience, you'll join me in agreeing that she is
> an exceptional and accomplished individual who brings a whole host of
> talents to our movement. I'm personally delighted that she will be lending
> her perspective and wisdom to our movement and to the governance of the
> Wikimedia Foundation. There is so much we can learn from her, and I hope
> she finds her tenure on the Board to be rewarding.
>
> Esra'a, thank you so very much for joining our Board and engaging even more
> with our movement! It is an honor to have this opportunity to work with you.
>
> Yours,
> Katherine
>
> On Fri, Dec 1, 2017 at 1:31 PM, Liam Wyatt <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
>> Fantastic Wikimania keynote, fascinating addition to the board, fabulous
>> addition to our community.
>>
>> Welcome.
>>
>>
>> On Fri, 1 Dec 2017 at 22:28, Anna Stillwell <[hidden email]>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Welcome, Esra'a. Thank you for taking the time to serve. I look forward
>> to
>>> your contribution.
>>> /a
>>>
>>> On Fri, Dec 1, 2017 at 12:59 PM, Christophe Henner <
>> [hidden email]>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi everyone,
>>>>
>>>> With the appointment of Raju to the Board of Trustees a couple of
>> months
>>>> ago, we were left with a remaining open vacancy to fill. I am thrilled
>> to
>>>> share that after several months of searching and discussions, we have
>>> made
>>>> another important appointment. At our November Board Retreat, the Board
>>>> appointed and welcomed Esra’a Al Shafei to fill our vacant expert seat.
>>>>
>>>> Esra'a is a prominent international human rights activist and social
>>>> entrepreneur. She founded and directs Majal, a nonprofit which utilizes
>>>> digital media to amplify under-reported and marginalized voices
>>> throughout
>>>> the Middle East and North Africa. For those of you that heard her
>> keynote
>>>> presentation at this year's Wikimania, I think you will agree she will
>>> make
>>>> a very valuable addition to the Board and brings an important
>> perspective
>>>> and skillset to the Board's efforts.
>>>>
>>>> Below (and on the Wikimedia Blog) you will find the official
>> announcement
>>>> about Esra’a Al Shafei. Please join me in warmly welcoming her to the
>>>> Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees and to the Wikimedia movement!
>>>>
>>>> Christophe
>>>> Chair, Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees
>>>>
>>>> P.S. Due to the nature of Esra’a’s work, sharing photos or videos of
>>> Esra’a
>>>> may endanger her safety or the safety of others. To help ensure the
>>> privacy
>>>> and safety of Esra’a and her colleagues, we are not sharing any
>>> photographs
>>>> or videos of Esra'a. We ask that you please join us in supporting this
>>>> important safety consideration.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Press release
>>>>
>>>> Header: Esra'a Al Shafei joins Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees
>>>>
>>>> Subheader: Bahraini human rights activist and social entrepreneur
>> brings
>>> to
>>>> the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees more than a decade of
>>> experience
>>>> in applying creative solutions to challenges faced by underserved and
>>>> underrepresented communities.
>>>>
>>>> Image: https://wikimania2017.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Esraa.png[a]
>>>> <https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1wNmwgJkUPp25nVLRVgX5WzU_>>>> LuEi5a9gJDpB7HWEft4/mobilebasic#cmnt1>
>>>> [b]
>>>> <https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1wNmwgJkUPp25nVLRVgX5WzU_>>>> LuEi5a9gJDpB7HWEft4/mobilebasic#cmnt2>
>>>> [c]
>>>> <https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1wNmwgJkUPp25nVLRVgX5WzU_>>>> LuEi5a9gJDpB7HWEft4/mobilebasic#cmnt3>
>>>> [d]
>>>> <https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1wNmwgJkUPp25nVLRVgX5WzU_>>>> LuEi5a9gJDpB7HWEft4/mobilebasic#cmnt4>
>>>>
>>>> San Francisco, California, 1 December 2017 — The Wikimedia Foundation
>>> today
>>>> announced the appointment of Esra'a Al Shafei, a prominent human rights
>>>> activist and a passionate defender of free expression, to the Wikimedia
>>>> Foundation Board of Trustees.
>>>>
>>>> A native of Bahrain, Esra'a’s work aims to increase and protect free
>>>> speech, promote expression for youth and underrepresented voices, and
>>>> improve the lives of LGBTQ people in the Middle East and North Africa.
>>> She
>>>> founded and directs Majal, a network of online platforms that
>>>> amplify under-reported and marginalized voices.
>>>>
>>>> “Esra'a shares Wikimedia's foundational belief that shared knowledge
>> can
>>>> facilitate shared understanding,” said Wikimedia Foundation Executive
>>>> Director, Katherine Maher. "Her achievements exemplify how intentional
>>>> community building can be a powerful tool for positive change, while
>>>> her passion
>>>> for beautiful and engaging user experiences will only elevate our work.
>>> We
>>>> are so fortunate to have her perspective in support of our global
>>> Wikimedia
>>>> communities."
>>>>
>>>> Esra'a founded Majal in 2006 as Mideast Youth, at the time a series of
>>>> blogs bringing a voice to marginalized and underrepresented young
>>>> people across the Middle East. Today, the organization's team helps
>> build
>>>> communities that celebrate, protect, and promote diversity and social
>>>> justice. Their endeavors include CrowdVoice.org, which curates
>>> crowdsourced
>>>> media to contextualize social movements throughout the world; Mideast
>>>> Tunes, the largest web and mobile app showcasing underground musicians
>> in
>>>> the Middle East and North Africa who use music as a tool for social
>>> change;
>>>> and Ahwaa.org, an open discussion platform for Arab LGBTQ individuals
>>> that
>>>> uses game mechanics to protect and engage its community.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> “When I first encountered Wikipedia shortly after obtaining an internet
>>>> connection in the early 2000s, I felt that the true purpose of the
>>> internet
>>>> was realized. With Wikipedia, I accessed research regarding persecuted
>>>> communities in my home country and the wider region: ethnic and
>> religious
>>>> minorities whom we were discouraged from learning about, and whose
>>>> histories and beliefs were dictated to us from a singular government
>>>> perspective. Wikipedia’s open source and crowdsourcing practices would
>>>> inspire the platforms I built to advocate for underrepresented
>>> communities,
>>>> and the internet would shape my life’s work in advocating for freedom
>> of
>>>> expression and identity around the world,” said Esra'a.
>>>>
>>>> Esra'a received the Berkman Award for Internet Innovation from the
>>> Berkman
>>>> Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School in 2008 for
>>>> "outstanding contributions to the internet and its impact on society."
>>> The
>>>> World Economic Forum listed her as one of "15 Women Changing the World
>> in
>>>> 2015." She has won the "Most Courageous Media" Prize from Free Press
>>>> Unlimited, and the Monaco Media Prize, which acknowledges innovative
>> uses
>>>> of media for the betterment of humanity.
>>>>
>>>> She has been featured in Fast Company as one of the "100 Most Creative
>>>> People in Business;" in The Daily Beast as one of the 17 bravest
>> bloggers
>>>> worldwide; and in Forbes' "30 Under 30" list of social entrepreneurs
>>> making
>>>> an impact in the world.
>>>>
>>>> Esra'a was a keynote speaker at Wikimania 2017 in Montreal, the annual
>>>> conference centered on the Wikimedia projects.
>>>>
>>>> “Esra'a brings tech expertise and a valuable perspective to the Board -
>>>> coming from a region where access to information is not taken for
>>> granted.
>>>> I was impressed by her talk during Wikimania 2017 on 'Experiences from
>>> the
>>>> Middle East: Overcoming Challenges and Serving Communities'. I think
>> her
>>>> experience in that region will be important to our efforts around the
>>>> globe,” said Nataliia Tymkiv, Governance Chair for the Board.
>>>>
>>>> Esra'a is a senior TED Fellow, an Echoing Green fellow, and a
>> Director’s
>>>> Fellow at the MIT Media Lab. She received a Shuttleworth Foundation
>>>> Fellowship in 2012 for her work on CrowdVoice.org.
>>>>
>>>> Esra'a joins nine other Foundation Trustees
>>>> <<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%">https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%>>>> 3Dhttps://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Board_of_Trustees%
>>>> 26amp;sa%3DD%26amp;ust%3D1512164054873000%26amp;usg%
>>>> 3DAFQjCNHvsp86oFFv5hD8SZzexjBIHdrkWA&sa=D&ust=1512164054901000&usg=
>>>> AFQjCNGS6qlGUSUBQzF5PmvviPecf7Kw4A>
>>>> who
>>>> collectively bring expertise in the Wikimedia community, financial
>>>> oversight, governance, and organizational development; and a commitment
>>> to
>>>> advancing Wikimedia’s mission of free knowledge for all.
>>>>
>>>> She was approved unanimously by the Wikimedia Foundation Board of
>>> Trustees.
>>>> Her term is effective December 2017 and will continue for three years.
>>>> Please see the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees
>>>> <<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%">https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%>>>> 3Dhttps://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Board_of_Trustees%
>>>> 26amp;sa%3DD%26amp;ust%3D1512164054873000%26amp;usg%
>>>> 3DAFQjCNHvsp86oFFv5hD8SZzexjBIHdrkWA&sa=D&ust=1512164054901000&usg=
>>>> AFQjCNGS6qlGUSUBQzF5PmvviPecf7Kw4A>
>>>> for
>>>> complete biographies.
>>>>
>>>> About the Wikimedia Foundation
>>>>
>>>> The Wikimedia Foundation is the non-profit organization that supports
>> and
>>>> operates Wikipedia and its sister free knowledge projects. Wikipedia is
>>> the
>>>> world’s free knowledge resource, spanning more than 45 million articles
>>>> across nearly 300 languages. Every month, more than 200,000 people edit
>>>> Wikipedia and the Wikimedia projects, collectively creating and
>> improving
>>>> knowledge that is accessed by more than 1 billion unique devices every
>>>> month. This all makes Wikipedia one of the most popular web properties
>> in
>>>> the world. Based in San Francisco, California, the Wikimedia Foundation
>>> is
>>>> a 501(c)(3) charity that is funded primarily through donations and
>>> grants.
>>>>
>>>> Esra’a Al Shafei profile
>>>>
>>>> Esra'a Al Shafei is a human rights activist and the founder and
>> director
>>> of
>>>> Majal, a nonprofit which helps build communities that celebrate,
>> protect,
>>>> and promote diversity, and social justice.
>>>>
>>>> A native of Bahrain, Esra'a works avidly to increase and protect free
>>>> speech, promote expression for youth and underrepresented voices, and
>>>> improve the lives of LGBTQ people in the Middle East and North Africa.
>>> She
>>>> founded Majal in 2006 as Mideast Youth. The organization has built
>> online
>>>> platforms that creatively facilitate the struggle for social change in
>>> the
>>>> Middle East and North Africa.
>>>>
>>>> Esra'a received the Berkman Award for Internet Innovation from Berkman
>>>> Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School in 2008 for
>>>> "outstanding contributions to the internet and its impact on society."
>>> The
>>>> World Economic Forum listed her as one of "15 Women Changing the World
>> in
>>>> 2015."
>>>>
>>>> She has won the "Most Courageous Media" Prize from Free Press
>> Unlimited,
>>>> and the Monaco Media Prize, which acknowledges innovative uses of media
>>> for
>>>> the betterment of humanity.
>>>>
>>>> Esra'a is a senior TED Fellow, an Echoing Green fellow, and a
>> Director’s
>>>> Fellow at the MIT Media Lab. She received a Shuttleworth Foundation
>>>> Fellowship in 2012 for her work on CrowdVoice.org. She lives in the
>>> Middle
>>>> East and North Africa region.
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/>>>> wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/>>>> wiki/Wikimedia-l
>>>> New messages to: [hidden email]>>>> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l,
>>>> <mailto:[hidden email]?subject=unsubscribe>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at:
>>> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and
>>> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l>>> New messages to: [hidden email]>>> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l,
>>> <mailto:[hidden email]?subject=unsubscribe>
>>
>> --
>> wittylama.com
>> Peace, love & metadata
>> _______________________________________________
>> Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/>> wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/>> wiki/Wikimedia-l
>> New messages to: [hidden email]>> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l,
>> <mailto:[hidden email]?subject=unsubscribe>
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Katherine Maher
> Executive Director
>
> *We moved! **Our new address:*
>
> Wikimedia Foundation
> 1 Montgomery Street, Suite 1600
> San Francisco, CA 94104
>
> +1 (415) 839-6885 ext. 6635
> +1 (415) 712 4873
> [hidden email]> https://annual.wikimedia.org> _______________________________________________
> Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l> New messages to: [hidden email]> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, <mailto:[hidden email]?subject=unsubscribe>

- CC World University and School - like CC Wikipedia with best STEM-centric
CC OpenCourseWare - incorporated as a nonprofit university and school in
California, and is a U.S. 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt educational organization.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: This transmission and any attachments are intended only
for the use of the individual or entity to which they are addressed and may
contain information that is privileged, confidential, or exempt from
disclosure under applicable federal or state laws. If the reader of this
transmission is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that
any use, dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is
strictly prohibited. If you have received this transmission in error,
please notify me immediately by email or telephone.

You're right, sorry Lane. I was responding with excitement and trying to be
more inclusive in my message by acknowledging that people could participate
in Wikimania even if they weren't in the room, but of course that was true
for all *but* this session.

> However, I’m very concerned by this:
>
> "P.S. Due to the nature of Esra’a’s work, sharing photos or videos of Esra’a may endanger her safety or the safety of others. To help ensure the privacy and safety of Esra’a and her colleagues, we are not sharing any photographs or videos of Esra'a. We ask that you please join us in supporting this important safety consideration.”
>
> This is security by obscurity (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q133735) - which is at best a temporary measure that won’t last, particularly in a high-profile position like this. Aside from the potential media coverage, Wikimedia events are very well photographed by Wikimedians who want to illustrate a rather well-read encyclopaedia… This leads to an awkward situation where someone’s safety and Wikimedia’s openness are conflicting, which is not OK.

Sorry, but I have to disagree, Mike.

Openness - as generally understood in Wikimedia - does not conflict with
respecting someone's privacy, much less so with not endangering their
safety. I believe that respecting the privacy and anonymity of our
editors (and readers, as well) is a value of Wikimedia.

Furthermore, I feel that Wikimedians value very highly their privacy and
anonimity, in fact, there are several Wikipedians with whom I have
edited pages for years now, and I still have no idea of their real
names, their age, their gender or where they live. All I know is their
nicknames on the projects and it's perfectly fine like that. There are
several rules that the communities have adopted to protect the privacy
and anonymity of every user.

Even at in-person events, there are usually ways to signal the fact that
one does not want to be photographed or have photos or recordings of
him/her, put online. You can also wear a badge with just your nickname
and not your real name, so that's not new even for our live events.

I agree with the idea that occupying a high-profile position and trying
to limit one's own exposure are conflicting goals, but I am sure that
this was very carefully.

So, I understand that this may seem different from the usual, but,
actually, it is not.

Respecting the privacy of others is one of our core values as a movement.
Esra’a Al Shafei is not an anonymous person, AFAIK. If they are not willing
to share their photos or video or does not wish to be photographed, I don't
see any problem with that and I think we should respect their decision.

> On 01/12/2017 23:22, Michael Peel wrote:
> > Thank you, Esra’a, for volunteering!
>
> Welcome,Esra'a!
>
> > However, I’m very concerned by this:
> >
> > "P.S. Due to the nature of Esra’a’s work, sharing photos or videos of
> Esra’a may endanger her safety or the safety of others. To help ensure the
> privacy and safety of Esra’a and her colleagues, we are not sharing any
> photographs or videos of Esra'a. We ask that you please join us in
> supporting this important safety consideration.”
> >
> > This is security by obscurity (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q133735) -
> which is at best a temporary measure that won’t last, particularly in a
> high-profile position like this. Aside from the potential media coverage,
> Wikimedia events are very well photographed by Wikimedians who want to
> illustrate a rather well-read encyclopaedia… This leads to an awkward
> situation where someone’s safety and Wikimedia’s openness are conflicting,
> which is not OK.
>
> Sorry, but I have to disagree, Mike.
>
> Openness - as generally understood in Wikimedia - does not conflict with
> respecting someone's privacy, much less so with not endangering their
> safety. I believe that respecting the privacy and anonymity of our
> editors (and readers, as well) is a value of Wikimedia.
>
> Furthermore, I feel that Wikimedians value very highly their privacy and
> anonimity, in fact, there are several Wikipedians with whom I have
> edited pages for years now, and I still have no idea of their real
> names, their age, their gender or where they live. All I know is their
> nicknames on the projects and it's perfectly fine like that. There are
> several rules that the communities have adopted to protect the privacy
> and anonymity of every user.
>
> Even at in-person events, there are usually ways to signal the fact that
> one does not want to be photographed or have photos or recordings of
> him/her, put online. You can also wear a badge with just your nickname
> and not your real name, so that's not new even for our live events.
>
> I agree with the idea that occupying a high-profile position and trying
> to limit one's own exposure are conflicting goals, but I am sure that
> this was very carefully.
>
> So, I understand that this may seem different from the usual, but,
> actually, it is not.
>
> Ciao,
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/> wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/> wiki/Wikimedia-l
> New messages to: [hidden email]> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l,
> <mailto:[hidden email]?subject=unsubscribe>

Mike, as Cristian says - the Wikimedia movement has a history of trying to
balance the safety concerns of volunteers in not-so-free regions (to put it
mildly...) with having them contribute to our projects and events. We
*need* these contributions, these voices - but we can sometimes be
hard-pressed to understand the challenges associated. Esra'a is not
requesting "security by obscurity" - she already has had ample media
coverage and recognition, as can be read in the announcement. She has even
attended and given a (wonderful) keynote at Wikimania a few months ago. We
*can* successfully figure out together how to balance having her voice
present while respecting her safety needs.

Again, thank you Esra'a for your willingness to take up the challenge of
serving on the WMF Board!

> However, I’m very concerned by this:
>
> "P.S. Due to the nature of Esra’a’s work, sharing photos or videos of
Esra’a may endanger her safety or the safety of others. To help ensure the
privacy and safety of Esra’a and her colleagues, we are not sharing any
photographs or videos of Esra'a. We ask that you please join us in
supporting this important safety consideration.”
>
> This is security by obscurity (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q133735) -
which is at best a temporary measure that won’t last, particularly in a
high-profile position like this. Aside from the potential media coverage,
Wikimedia events are very well photographed by Wikimedians who want to
illustrate a rather well-read encyclopaedia… This leads to an awkward
situation where someone’s safety and Wikimedia’s openness are conflicting,
which is not OK.

Sorry, but I have to disagree, Mike.

Openness - as generally understood in Wikimedia - does not conflict with
respecting someone's privacy, much less so with not endangering their
safety. I believe that respecting the privacy and anonymity of our
editors (and readers, as well) is a value of Wikimedia.

Furthermore, I feel that Wikimedians value very highly their privacy and
anonimity, in fact, there are several Wikipedians with whom I have
edited pages for years now, and I still have no idea of their real
names, their age, their gender or where they live. All I know is their
nicknames on the projects and it's perfectly fine like that. There are
several rules that the communities have adopted to protect the privacy
and anonymity of every user.

Even at in-person events, there are usually ways to signal the fact that
one does not want to be photographed or have photos or recordings of
him/her, put online. You can also wear a badge with just your nickname
and not your real name, so that's not new even for our live events.

I agree with the idea that occupying a high-profile position and trying
to limit one's own exposure are conflicting goals, but I am sure that
this was very carefully.

So, I understand that this may seem different from the usual, but,
actually, it is not.

Thanks Cristian for remming us all, about one of the (non-written :-) core values of Wikimedia. From the very beginning of the movement the idea that people can participate anonymously and that we respect privacy has been important. Lets keep it this way.

"P.S. Due to the nature of Esra’a’s work, sharing photos or videos of Esra’a may endanger her safety or the safety of others. To help ensure the privacy and safety of Esra’a and her colleagues, we are not sharing any photographs or videos of Esra'a. We ask that you please join us in supporting this important safety consideration.”

This is security by obscurity (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q133735) - which is at best a temporary measure that won’t last, particularly in a high-profile position like this. Aside from the potential media coverage, Wikimedia events are very well photographed by Wikimedians who want to illustrate a rather well-read encyclopaedia… This leads to an awkward situation where someone’s safety and Wikimedia’s openness are conflicting, which is not OK.

Sorry, but I have to disagree, Mike.

Openness - as generally understood in Wikimedia - does not conflict with
respecting someone's privacy, much less so with not endangering their
safety. I believe that respecting the privacy and anonymity of our
editors (and readers, as well) is a value of Wikimedia.

Furthermore, I feel that Wikimedians value very highly their privacy and
anonimity, in fact, there are several Wikipedians with whom I have
edited pages for years now, and I still have no idea of their real
names, their age, their gender or where they live. All I know is their
nicknames on the projects and it's perfectly fine like that. There are
several rules that the communities have adopted to protect the privacy
and anonymity of every user.

Even at in-person events, there are usually ways to signal the fact that
one does not want to be photographed or have photos or recordings of
him/her, put online. You can also wear a badge with just your nickname
and not your real name, so that's not new even for our live events.

I agree with the idea that occupying a high-profile position and trying
to limit one's own exposure are conflicting goals, but I am sure that
this was very carefully.

So, I understand that this may seem different from the usual, but,
actually, it is not.

And thank you Cristian for remming us all, about one of the (non-written :-) core values of Wikimedia. From the very beginning of the movement the idea that people can participate anonymously and that we respect privacy has been important. Lets keep it this way.

- Teemu

> On 2 Dec 2017, at 6.31, Cristian Consonni <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> On 01/12/2017 23:22, Michael Peel wrote:
>> Thank you, Esra’a, for volunteering!
>
> Welcome,Esra'a!
>
>> However, I’m very concerned by this:
>>
>> "P.S. Due to the nature of Esra’a’s work, sharing photos or videos of Esra’a may endanger her safety or the safety of others. To help ensure the privacy and safety of Esra’a and her colleagues, we are not sharing any photographs or videos of Esra'a. We ask that you please join us in supporting this important safety consideration.”
>>
>> This is security by obscurity (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q133735) - which is at best a temporary measure that won’t last, particularly in a high-profile position like this. Aside from the potential media coverage, Wikimedia events are very well photographed by Wikimedians who want to illustrate a rather well-read encyclopaedia… This leads to an awkward situation where someone’s safety and Wikimedia’s openness are conflicting, which is not OK.
>
> Sorry, but I have to disagree, Mike.
>
> Openness - as generally understood in Wikimedia - does not conflict with
> respecting someone's privacy, much less so with not endangering their
> safety. I believe that respecting the privacy and anonymity of our
> editors (and readers, as well) is a value of Wikimedia.
>
> Furthermore, I feel that Wikimedians value very highly their privacy and
> anonimity, in fact, there are several Wikipedians with whom I have
> edited pages for years now, and I still have no idea of their real
> names, their age, their gender or where they live. All I know is their
> nicknames on the projects and it's perfectly fine like that. There are
> several rules that the communities have adopted to protect the privacy
> and anonymity of every user.
>
> Even at in-person events, there are usually ways to signal the fact that
> one does not want to be photographed or have photos or recordings of
> him/her, put online. You can also wear a badge with just your nickname
> and not your real name, so that's not new even for our live events.
>
> I agree with the idea that occupying a high-profile position and trying
> to limit one's own exposure are conflicting goals, but I am sure that
> this was very carefully.
>
> So, I understand that this may seem different from the usual, but,
> actually, it is not.
>
> Ciao,
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l> New messages to: [hidden email]> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, <mailto:[hidden email]?subject=unsubscribe>

Congratulations everyone! Esra'a is a wonderful addition to the Board. I'm
delighted she was able to join!

Best,
Phoebe

PS on the photos question, I worked closely with Esra'a on this for
Wikimania - it was not difficult to accommodate no photos of her, and it's
important. She has a lot of experience with how to do this practically in
group situations - being out of frame, etc - and I don't think a reluctance
to have photos of herself online changes her, or our, commitment to
crowdsourced, well-documented open projects in the slightest.

> Hi everyone,
>
> With the appointment of Raju to the Board of Trustees a couple of months
> ago, we were left with a remaining open vacancy to fill. I am thrilled to
> share that after several months of searching and discussions, we have made
> another important appointment. At our November Board Retreat, the Board
> appointed and welcomed Esra’a Al Shafei to fill our vacant expert seat.
>
> Esra'a is a prominent international human rights activist and social
> entrepreneur. She founded and directs Majal, a nonprofit which utilizes
> digital media to amplify under-reported and marginalized voices throughout
> the Middle East and North Africa. For those of you that heard her keynote
> presentation at this year's Wikimania, I think you will agree she will make
> a very valuable addition to the Board and brings an important perspective
> and skillset to the Board's efforts.
>
> Below (and on the Wikimedia Blog) you will find the official announcement
> about Esra’a Al Shafei. Please join me in warmly welcoming her to the
> Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees and to the Wikimedia movement!
>
> Christophe
> Chair, Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees
>
> P.S. Due to the nature of Esra’a’s work, sharing photos or videos of Esra’a
> may endanger her safety or the safety of others. To help ensure the privacy
> and safety of Esra’a and her colleagues, we are not sharing any photographs
> or videos of Esra'a. We ask that you please join us in supporting this
> important safety consideration.
>
>
> Press release
>
> Header: Esra'a Al Shafei joins Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees
>
> Subheader: Bahraini human rights activist and social entrepreneur brings to
> the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees more than a decade of experience
> in applying creative solutions to challenges faced by underserved and
> underrepresented communities.
>
> Image: https://wikimania2017.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Esraa.png[a]
> <https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1wNmwgJkUPp25nVLRVgX5WzU_> LuEi5a9gJDpB7HWEft4/mobilebasic#cmnt1>
> [b]
> <https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1wNmwgJkUPp25nVLRVgX5WzU_> LuEi5a9gJDpB7HWEft4/mobilebasic#cmnt2>
> [c]
> <https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1wNmwgJkUPp25nVLRVgX5WzU_> LuEi5a9gJDpB7HWEft4/mobilebasic#cmnt3>
> [d]
> <https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1wNmwgJkUPp25nVLRVgX5WzU_> LuEi5a9gJDpB7HWEft4/mobilebasic#cmnt4>
>
> San Francisco, California, 1 December 2017 — The Wikimedia Foundation today
> announced the appointment of Esra'a Al Shafei, a prominent human rights
> activist and a passionate defender of free expression, to the Wikimedia
> Foundation Board of Trustees.
>
> A native of Bahrain, Esra'a’s work aims to increase and protect free
> speech, promote expression for youth and underrepresented voices, and
> improve the lives of LGBTQ people in the Middle East and North Africa. She
> founded and directs Majal, a network of online platforms that
> amplify under-reported and marginalized voices.
>
> “Esra'a shares Wikimedia's foundational belief that shared knowledge can
> facilitate shared understanding,” said Wikimedia Foundation Executive
> Director, Katherine Maher. "Her achievements exemplify how intentional
> community building can be a powerful tool for positive change, while
> her passion
> for beautiful and engaging user experiences will only elevate our work. We
> are so fortunate to have her perspective in support of our global Wikimedia
> communities."
>
> Esra'a founded Majal in 2006 as Mideast Youth, at the time a series of
> blogs bringing a voice to marginalized and underrepresented young
> people across the Middle East. Today, the organization's team helps build
> communities that celebrate, protect, and promote diversity and social
> justice. Their endeavors include CrowdVoice.org, which curates crowdsourced
> media to contextualize social movements throughout the world; Mideast
> Tunes, the largest web and mobile app showcasing underground musicians in
> the Middle East and North Africa who use music as a tool for social change;
> and Ahwaa.org, an open discussion platform for Arab LGBTQ individuals that
> uses game mechanics to protect and engage its community.
>
>
> “When I first encountered Wikipedia shortly after obtaining an internet
> connection in the early 2000s, I felt that the true purpose of the internet
> was realized. With Wikipedia, I accessed research regarding persecuted
> communities in my home country and the wider region: ethnic and religious
> minorities whom we were discouraged from learning about, and whose
> histories and beliefs were dictated to us from a singular government
> perspective. Wikipedia’s open source and crowdsourcing practices would
> inspire the platforms I built to advocate for underrepresented communities,
> and the internet would shape my life’s work in advocating for freedom of
> expression and identity around the world,” said Esra'a.
>
> Esra'a received the Berkman Award for Internet Innovation from the Berkman
> Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School in 2008 for
> "outstanding contributions to the internet and its impact on society." The
> World Economic Forum listed her as one of "15 Women Changing the World in
> 2015." She has won the "Most Courageous Media" Prize from Free Press
> Unlimited, and the Monaco Media Prize, which acknowledges innovative uses
> of media for the betterment of humanity.
>
> She has been featured in Fast Company as one of the "100 Most Creative
> People in Business;" in The Daily Beast as one of the 17 bravest bloggers
> worldwide; and in Forbes' "30 Under 30" list of social entrepreneurs making
> an impact in the world.
>
> Esra'a was a keynote speaker at Wikimania 2017 in Montreal, the annual
> conference centered on the Wikimedia projects.
>
> “Esra'a brings tech expertise and a valuable perspective to the Board -
> coming from a region where access to information is not taken for granted.
> I was impressed by her talk during Wikimania 2017 on 'Experiences from the
> Middle East: Overcoming Challenges and Serving Communities'. I think her
> experience in that region will be important to our efforts around the
> globe,” said Nataliia Tymkiv, Governance Chair for the Board.
>
> Esra'a is a senior TED Fellow, an Echoing Green fellow, and a Director’s
> Fellow at the MIT Media Lab. She received a Shuttleworth Foundation
> Fellowship in 2012 for her work on CrowdVoice.org.
>
> Esra'a joins nine other Foundation Trustees
> <<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%">https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%> 3Dhttps://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Board_of_Trustees%
> 26amp;sa%3DD%26amp;ust%3D1512164054873000%26amp;usg%
> 3DAFQjCNHvsp86oFFv5hD8SZzexjBIHdrkWA&sa=D&ust=1512164054901000&usg=
> AFQjCNGS6qlGUSUBQzF5PmvviPecf7Kw4A>
> who
> collectively bring expertise in the Wikimedia community, financial
> oversight, governance, and organizational development; and a commitment to
> advancing Wikimedia’s mission of free knowledge for all.
>
> She was approved unanimously by the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees.
> Her term is effective December 2017 and will continue for three years.
> Please see the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees
> <<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%">https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%> 3Dhttps://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Board_of_Trustees%
> 26amp;sa%3DD%26amp;ust%3D1512164054873000%26amp;usg%
> 3DAFQjCNHvsp86oFFv5hD8SZzexjBIHdrkWA&sa=D&ust=1512164054901000&usg=
> AFQjCNGS6qlGUSUBQzF5PmvviPecf7Kw4A>
> for
> complete biographies.
>
> About the Wikimedia Foundation
>
> The Wikimedia Foundation is the non-profit organization that supports and
> operates Wikipedia and its sister free knowledge projects. Wikipedia is the
> world’s free knowledge resource, spanning more than 45 million articles
> across nearly 300 languages. Every month, more than 200,000 people edit
> Wikipedia and the Wikimedia projects, collectively creating and improving
> knowledge that is accessed by more than 1 billion unique devices every
> month. This all makes Wikipedia one of the most popular web properties in
> the world. Based in San Francisco, California, the Wikimedia Foundation is
> a 501(c)(3) charity that is funded primarily through donations and grants.
>
> Esra’a Al Shafei profile
>
> Esra'a Al Shafei is a human rights activist and the founder and director of
> Majal, a nonprofit which helps build communities that celebrate, protect,
> and promote diversity, and social justice.
>
> A native of Bahrain, Esra'a works avidly to increase and protect free
> speech, promote expression for youth and underrepresented voices, and
> improve the lives of LGBTQ people in the Middle East and North Africa. She
> founded Majal in 2006 as Mideast Youth. The organization has built online
> platforms that creatively facilitate the struggle for social change in the
> Middle East and North Africa.
>
> Esra'a received the Berkman Award for Internet Innovation from Berkman
> Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School in 2008 for
> "outstanding contributions to the internet and its impact on society." The
> World Economic Forum listed her as one of "15 Women Changing the World in
> 2015."
>
> She has won the "Most Courageous Media" Prize from Free Press Unlimited,
> and the Monaco Media Prize, which acknowledges innovative uses of media for
> the betterment of humanity.
>
> Esra'a is a senior TED Fellow, an Echoing Green fellow, and a Director’s
> Fellow at the MIT Media Lab. She received a Shuttleworth Foundation
> Fellowship in 2012 for her work on CrowdVoice.org. She lives in the Middle
> East and North Africa region.
> _______________________________________________
> Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/> wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/> wiki/Wikimedia-l
> New messages to: [hidden email]> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l,
> <mailto:[hidden email]?subject=unsubscribe>

> Hi everyone,
>
> With the appointment of Raju to the Board of Trustees a couple of months
> ago, we were left with a remaining open vacancy to fill. I am thrilled to
> share that after several months of searching and discussions, we have made
> another important appointment. At our November Board Retreat, the Board
> appointed and welcomed Esra’a Al Shafei to fill our vacant expert seat.
>
> Esra'a is a prominent international human rights activist and social
> entrepreneur. She founded and directs Majal, a nonprofit which utilizes
> digital media to amplify under-reported and marginalized voices throughout
> the Middle East and North Africa. For those of you that heard her keynote
> presentation at this year's Wikimania, I think you will agree she will make
> a very valuable addition to the Board and brings an important perspective
> and skillset to the Board's efforts.
>
> Below (and on the Wikimedia Blog) you will find the official announcement
> about Esra’a Al Shafei. Please join me in warmly welcoming her to the
> Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees and to the Wikimedia movement!
>
> Christophe
> Chair, Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees
>
> P.S. Due to the nature of Esra’a’s work, sharing photos or videos of Esra’a
> may endanger her safety or the safety of others. To help ensure the privacy
> and safety of Esra’a and her colleagues, we are not sharing any photographs
> or videos of Esra'a. We ask that you please join us in supporting this
> important safety consideration.
>
>
> Press release
>
> Header: Esra'a Al Shafei joins Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees
>
> Subheader: Bahraini human rights activist and social entrepreneur brings to
> the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees more than a decade of experience
> in applying creative solutions to challenges faced by underserved and
> underrepresented communities.
>
> Image: https://wikimania2017.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Esraa.png[a]
> <https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1wNmwgJkUPp25nVLRVgX5WzU_> LuEi5a9gJDpB7HWEft4/mobilebasic#cmnt1>
> [b]
> <https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1wNmwgJkUPp25nVLRVgX5WzU_> LuEi5a9gJDpB7HWEft4/mobilebasic#cmnt2>
> [c]
> <https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1wNmwgJkUPp25nVLRVgX5WzU_> LuEi5a9gJDpB7HWEft4/mobilebasic#cmnt3>
> [d]
> <https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1wNmwgJkUPp25nVLRVgX5WzU_> LuEi5a9gJDpB7HWEft4/mobilebasic#cmnt4>
>
> San Francisco, California, 1 December 2017 — The Wikimedia Foundation today
> announced the appointment of Esra'a Al Shafei, a prominent human rights
> activist and a passionate defender of free expression, to the Wikimedia
> Foundation Board of Trustees.
>
> A native of Bahrain, Esra'a’s work aims to increase and protect free
> speech, promote expression for youth and underrepresented voices, and
> improve the lives of LGBTQ people in the Middle East and North Africa. She
> founded and directs Majal, a network of online platforms that
> amplify under-reported and marginalized voices.
>
> “Esra'a shares Wikimedia's foundational belief that shared knowledge can
> facilitate shared understanding,” said Wikimedia Foundation Executive
> Director, Katherine Maher. "Her achievements exemplify how intentional
> community building can be a powerful tool for positive change, while
> her passion
> for beautiful and engaging user experiences will only elevate our work. We
> are so fortunate to have her perspective in support of our global Wikimedia
> communities."
>
> Esra'a founded Majal in 2006 as Mideast Youth, at the time a series of
> blogs bringing a voice to marginalized and underrepresented young
> people across the Middle East. Today, the organization's team helps build
> communities that celebrate, protect, and promote diversity and social
> justice. Their endeavors include CrowdVoice.org, which curates crowdsourced
> media to contextualize social movements throughout the world; Mideast
> Tunes, the largest web and mobile app showcasing underground musicians in
> the Middle East and North Africa who use music as a tool for social change;
> and Ahwaa.org, an open discussion platform for Arab LGBTQ individuals that
> uses game mechanics to protect and engage its community.
>
>
> “When I first encountered Wikipedia shortly after obtaining an internet
> connection in the early 2000s, I felt that the true purpose of the internet
> was realized. With Wikipedia, I accessed research regarding persecuted
> communities in my home country and the wider region: ethnic and religious
> minorities whom we were discouraged from learning about, and whose
> histories and beliefs were dictated to us from a singular government
> perspective. Wikipedia’s open source and crowdsourcing practices would
> inspire the platforms I built to advocate for underrepresented communities,
> and the internet would shape my life’s work in advocating for freedom of
> expression and identity around the world,” said Esra'a.
>
> Esra'a received the Berkman Award for Internet Innovation from the Berkman
> Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School in 2008 for
> "outstanding contributions to the internet and its impact on society." The
> World Economic Forum listed her as one of "15 Women Changing the World in
> 2015." She has won the "Most Courageous Media" Prize from Free Press
> Unlimited, and the Monaco Media Prize, which acknowledges innovative uses
> of media for the betterment of humanity.
>
> She has been featured in Fast Company as one of the "100 Most Creative
> People in Business;" in The Daily Beast as one of the 17 bravest bloggers
> worldwide; and in Forbes' "30 Under 30" list of social entrepreneurs making
> an impact in the world.
>
> Esra'a was a keynote speaker at Wikimania 2017 in Montreal, the annual
> conference centered on the Wikimedia projects.
>
> “Esra'a brings tech expertise and a valuable perspective to the Board -
> coming from a region where access to information is not taken for granted.
> I was impressed by her talk during Wikimania 2017 on 'Experiences from the
> Middle East: Overcoming Challenges and Serving Communities'. I think her
> experience in that region will be important to our efforts around the
> globe,” said Nataliia Tymkiv, Governance Chair for the Board.
>
> Esra'a is a senior TED Fellow, an Echoing Green fellow, and a Director’s
> Fellow at the MIT Media Lab. She received a Shuttleworth Foundation
> Fellowship in 2012 for her work on CrowdVoice.org.
>
> Esra'a joins nine other Foundation Trustees
> <<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%">https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%> 3Dhttps://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Board_of_Trustees%
> 26amp;sa%3DD%26amp;ust%3D1512164054873000%26amp;usg%
> 3DAFQjCNHvsp86oFFv5hD8SZzexjBIHdrkWA&sa=D&ust=1512164054901000&usg=
> AFQjCNGS6qlGUSUBQzF5PmvviPecf7Kw4A>
> who
> collectively bring expertise in the Wikimedia community, financial
> oversight, governance, and organizational development; and a commitment to
> advancing Wikimedia’s mission of free knowledge for all.
>
> She was approved unanimously by the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees.
> Her term is effective December 2017 and will continue for three years.
> Please see the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees
> <<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%">https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%> 3Dhttps://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Board_of_Trustees%
> 26amp;sa%3DD%26amp;ust%3D1512164054873000%26amp;usg%
> 3DAFQjCNHvsp86oFFv5hD8SZzexjBIHdrkWA&sa=D&ust=1512164054901000&usg=
> AFQjCNGS6qlGUSUBQzF5PmvviPecf7Kw4A>
> for
> complete biographies.
>
> About the Wikimedia Foundation
>
> The Wikimedia Foundation is the non-profit organization that supports and
> operates Wikipedia and its sister free knowledge projects. Wikipedia is the
> world’s free knowledge resource, spanning more than 45 million articles
> across nearly 300 languages. Every month, more than 200,000 people edit
> Wikipedia and the Wikimedia projects, collectively creating and improving
> knowledge that is accessed by more than 1 billion unique devices every
> month. This all makes Wikipedia one of the most popular web properties in
> the world. Based in San Francisco, California, the Wikimedia Foundation is
> a 501(c)(3) charity that is funded primarily through donations and grants.
>
> Esra’a Al Shafei profile
>
> Esra'a Al Shafei is a human rights activist and the founder and director of
> Majal, a nonprofit which helps build communities that celebrate, protect,
> and promote diversity, and social justice.
>
> A native of Bahrain, Esra'a works avidly to increase and protect free
> speech, promote expression for youth and underrepresented voices, and
> improve the lives of LGBTQ people in the Middle East and North Africa. She
> founded Majal in 2006 as Mideast Youth. The organization has built online
> platforms that creatively facilitate the struggle for social change in the
> Middle East and North Africa.
>
> Esra'a received the Berkman Award for Internet Innovation from Berkman
> Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School in 2008 for
> "outstanding contributions to the internet and its impact on society." The
> World Economic Forum listed her as one of "15 Women Changing the World in
> 2015."
>
> She has won the "Most Courageous Media" Prize from Free Press Unlimited,
> and the Monaco Media Prize, which acknowledges innovative uses of media for
> the betterment of humanity.
>
> Esra'a is a senior TED Fellow, an Echoing Green fellow, and a Director’s
> Fellow at the MIT Media Lab. She received a Shuttleworth Foundation
> Fellowship in 2012 for her work on CrowdVoice.org. She lives in the Middle
> East and North Africa region.
> _______________________________________________
> Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/> wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/> wiki/Wikimedia-l
> New messages to: [hidden email]> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l,
> <mailto:[hidden email]?subject=unsubscribe>

> Mike, as Cristian says - the Wikimedia movement has a history of trying to
> balance the safety concerns of volunteers in not-so-free regions (to put it
> mildly...) with having them contribute to our projects and events. We
> *need* these contributions, these voices - but we can sometimes be
> hard-pressed to understand the challenges associated. Esra'a is not
> requesting "security by obscurity" - she already has had ample media
> coverage and recognition, as can be read in the announcement. She has even
> attended and given a (wonderful) keynote at Wikimania a few months ago. We
> *can* successfully figure out together how to balance having her voice
> present while respecting her safety needs.

> […]

You are conflating two aspects here that are not congruent
(IMHO).

If someone is requesting privacy, that is to be honored by
default (there are exceptions like Essjay or Amina Abdallah
Arraf al Omari, but I don't see that applicable here). It
is an individual choice to determine what one wants to share
about himself, and that decision is not up for discussion
(as long as there is no deception involved).

If someone (or an organization) is requesting privacy "for
safety reasons", then that argument can be analyzed,
criticized and doubted. To parade someone in front of
several hundred strangers with the knowledge that a single
recognition would endanger that one's safety is negligent at
best (or, for a US-based organization: potentially costly).

> María Sefidari <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> > […]
>
> > Mike, as Cristian says - the Wikimedia movement has a history of trying
> to
> > balance the safety concerns of volunteers in not-so-free regions (to put
> it
> > mildly...) with having them contribute to our projects and events. We
> > *need* these contributions, these voices - but we can sometimes be
> > hard-pressed to understand the challenges associated. Esra'a is not
> > requesting "security by obscurity" - she already has had ample media
> > coverage and recognition, as can be read in the announcement. She has
> even
> > attended and given a (wonderful) keynote at Wikimania a few months ago.
> We
> > *can* successfully figure out together how to balance having her voice
> > present while respecting her safety needs.
>
> > […]
>
> You are conflating two aspects here that are not congruent
> (IMHO).
>
> If someone is requesting privacy, that is to be honored by
> default (there are exceptions like Essjay or Amina Abdallah
> Arraf al Omari, but I don't see that applicable here). It
> is an individual choice to determine what one wants to share
> about himself, and that decision is not up for discussion
> (as long as there is no deception involved).
>
> If someone (or an organization) is requesting privacy "for
> safety reasons", then that argument can be analyzed,
> criticized and doubted. To parade someone in front of
> several hundred strangers with the knowledge that a single
> recognition would endanger that one's safety is negligent at
> best (or, for a US-based organization: potentially costly).
>
> Tim
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/> wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/> wiki/Wikimedia-l
> New messages to: [hidden email]> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l,
> <mailto:[hidden email]?subject=unsubscribe>
>